Airplane propeller paperweight and letter opener



April 1941- M. E. TROLLEN 2.237.463

AIRPLANE PROPELLER PAPERWEIGHT AND LETTER OPENER Filed Oct. 7",- 1'9'40 2 sheets-sheet April 8, 1941. 2.237.463

AIRPLANE PROPELLER PAPERWEIGHT AND LETTER OPENER M. E. TROLLEN Filed Oct. 7, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 8, 1941 AIRPLANE PROPE-LLER PAPERVVEKGHT AND LETTER OPENER Martin E. Trollen, St. Paul, Minn, assignor to Brown & Bigelow, St. Paul, Minn, a corporation of Minnesota Application October "I, 1944), Serial No. 360,059

10 Claims. (01. fill-35) This invention relates to an airplane propeller paperweight and letter opener designed to provide a desk utility, unique in character and formation. The article is formed with a pair of propeller blades made to simulate airplane propellers which are stamped from a single piece of material and having a bearing portion formed axially thereof. The propeller is adapted to be supported by a bearing member which acts as a hub and which is formed-with a disc-like boss portion on one side, and in one form the hub portion is made with a dome-like upwardly projecting portion which simulates the dome on the outer end of the propeller shaft of an airplane.

A feature of the letter opener and paperweight resides in providing a projecting portion at the axis of the hub upon which the propeller can be rotated to spin it around on the desk so that the propeller will simulate an actual airplane propeller in operation.

In one form of the airplane propeller paperweight and letter opener the projecting dome is provided with slots through which the propeller extends, whereas, the portion of the propeller intermediate the ends or the axial portion thereof, is enlarged to provide shoulders for engaging within the dome portion while the smaller shanks of the propellers leading out of the dome engage in the slots in the side wall of the dome. By

means of a disc which engages the portion of the 1 walls of the dome that project beyond the shanks of the propellers, the paperweight and letter opener is put together. This provides one simple form of the same.

In another form of the airplane propeller pa- 5 perweight and letter opener, the hub portion is adapted to act to support indicia within the same and by means of a lens the indicia may be made more prominent. Such lens may be made of plastic material which is clearer than glass and is I not breakable. The outer convex surface of the lens also acts as an axial bearing upon which the propeller letter opener can be rotated. While the rotating principle of the propeller is more or less of a novelty feature, it adds to the character of the device because it provides a means of amusement and also of interest to observers,

with a pair of discs on either side rather than a disc on one side and a dome on the other as heretofore set forth.

Another form of the hub may be made where one side of the same may be a dome and the other disc-like side may carry a ball or be formed with a point projecting from the surface of the disc so as to provide an axial bearing for free rotation of the propeller blades.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 illustrates a side view of the airplane propeller paperweight and letter opener Figure 2 is a bottom view, looking toward the disc side of the hub portion.

Figure 3 is a side sectional elevation of the same.

Figure 4 illustrates a side elevation of another form of hub portion of the propeller paperweight and letter opener.

Figure 5 is a bottom or face view of the form shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an enlarged section on the line li6 of Figure 4.

Figure '7 is an enlarged section through the hub portion similar to Figure 6, however, Where one side of the hub portion is formed into a beehivelike dome, where the other side is provided with a disc in which a ball bearing is secured for a bearing point.

Figure 8 illustrates a similar section to Figure '7, where a projection is formed axially for a bearing point instead of the ball shown in Fi ure 7.

The airplane propeller paperweight and letter opener A is formed with a pair of propeller blades H] which are integrally connected to the hub portion ll. Narrow shanks [2 connect the hub portion I l with the outer ends of the blades l0 and the shank portions simulate the shanks of the regular propellers such as are used in modern airplanes having a rounded formation.

The blades ll) are thinned out at the ends it so as to form thin blade-like portions which may act to be inserted under the closing flap of an envelope and thus either propeller blade lil may act as a letter opener blade.

The propeller blades Ill and the hub portion l l are formed by stamping the same out of a sheet of material which is thick enough so that it can be formed into the proper shape with the blades twisted like airplane propeller blades so that they simulate the form of regular modern airplane propellers.

The enlarged portion ll forms shoulders M which engage against the inside of the wall of the dome-like hub portion 15. The hub portion I5 may be formed of a shell-like formation and may be shaped like a dome-shaped beehive, thus simulating the dome formed on the outer end of the propeller shaft of an airplane.

The walls of the dome I5 extend downward into a cylindrical portion I6 and by means of notches formed in the portion E6, the shanks I2 of the propellers I may be secured within the dome I5. The propeller is then held to the dome I by means of the disc-like member H which telescopes over the ends of the wall of the dome l5 on the other side of the propeller blades. The disc I! may form the bottom for the paperweight and letter opener A so that the same may ordinarily rest upon the desk on the disc I'I. Further the disc I! is formed with its central portion convex to provide an axial bearing point I8, While the rim I9 of the same extends below the convex bearing portion I3 so that when it is desired, the blades of the propeller letter opener and paperweight A may be rotated by spinning the whole device on the bearing I8 while it rests upon a flat smooth surface. When spinning or rotating, the paperweight letter opener A closely resembles an operating propeller of an airplane. This adds interest and attractiveness to the airplane propeller letter opener and paperweight. The center hub portion of the letter opener A also acts to hold the blades of the same extending above the surface on which the article is resting so as to make it easy to grasp the blades to lift the letter opener A up off the surface on which it is resting. Further, the projecting dome-like hub portion of the same prevents the letter opener from being buried under papers on ones desk, as is so often the case with the ordinary letter opener.

The letter opener A may be made in the form illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, wherein the hub portion B is of disc-like shape on either side of the center portion II. However, the propeller blades are of the same formation, as well as the hub portion l I, as that heretofore set forth. The hub portion B is formed with a cylindrical-like shell portion I8 which is formed with the slots or notches I9 for receiving the shanks I2 of the propeller blades and to permit the enlarged hub portion II to be held in the cylindrical portion of the hub B. In this form a disc may he placed against the end of the hub portion as illustrated in Figure 6 before the sleeve or collar 2| is telescoped onto the walls of the hub B. The disc 20 may carry suitable indicia 22 which may be advertising subject-matter or other identification means. engage and support the lens 23 to hold the same over the indicia disc 20. The outer convex surface 24 of the lens 23 provides a smooth arcuated projecting surface on which the propeller A may be rotated as heretofore described.

Figure 7 illustrates a section through the dome I5 and shows a form where the disc Il may be used to support a ball 25 instead of having the surface of the disc convex like in Figure 3. The ball acts to project beyond the rim I9 and forms a bearing point on which the propeller A may be rotated. Figure 8 is a similar view to Figure 7, showing in place of the ball 25 a point 25.

The drawings illustrate different forms of hubs which may be used on the propeller blades I0 and they also illustrate indicia 2'I printed on the blades IIJ so as to show the manner in which the airplane propeller paper weight and letter opener'may be used for advertising or display purposes.

The collar 2| is adapted to It is a feature to provide an attractive display in the form of an airplane propeller paperweight and letter opener wherein the combined utility of the article makes it more desirable to be used on a persons desk and thus provides an advertising piece or article of a desirable nature. It is apparent that the article may be made in different forms wherein the principles, functions and utility thereof are clearly defined and as set forth within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. An airplane propeller paperweight and letter opener including propeller blades having outer thin pointed ends to provide means for engaging between the body and closing flap of an envelope to open the same, and a weighted hub portion at the inner end of said blades and forming a bearing upon which the paper weight and letter opener is adapted to rest with said blades extending outwardly therefrom.

2. A letter opener and paperweight including a central hub-bearing portion, miniature airplane propeller blades extending from said hub portion, the ends of which provide letter opening means, said hub portion forming a bearing to support the blades in a manner so that they can be rotated to simulate the operation of an airplane propeller in action.

3- A paperweight letter opener adapted to simulate an airplane propeller means including a hub portion, a recess for receiving identification data in said hub portion, lens means for closing said recess and adapted to provide a projecting bearing portion upon which the paperweight and letter opener may rotate, and a miniature airplane propeller means projecting from said hub portion, the end portions of which may act as a letter opening blade.

4. An article of the class described including a hub portion, miniature airplane blade means having pointed ends projecting from said hub portion providing letter opening means, and an axial bearing portion having a pivot point formed on said hub portion, whereby said blade means may be rotated to simulate an airplane propeller in operation.

5. A miniature airplane propeller including blade means adapted to provide a letter opening device, a hub portion for said blade means having a space formed therein for identification indicia and axial projecting bearing means in said hub whereby said propeller may be rotated to simulate an airplane propeller in operation.

6. A miniature airplane propeller including blade means, the ends of which act as letter opening means, a central hub portion, said hub portion and blade means acting as a paper weight, and axial bearing means whereby said propeller may be operated in simulation of a whirling airplane propeller.

7. Miniature airplane propeller and hub supporting means including a pair of propeller blades integrally connected through the hub support, a hub supporting means adapted to engage around the connecting portion intermediate the blades and positioned centrally thereof to provide an axial bearing whereby the blades may be rotated when the bearing is resting on a surface so that while rotating the blades simulate an airplane propeller in action.

8. A paperweight and leter opening device comprising a pair of blade members stamped from a single piece of material being formed in a manner to simulate airplane propeller blades, an intermediate bearing connecting portion, and

10. A paperweight and letter opener including a miniature airplane-propeller stamped from a single piece of material, the intermediate portion which is axially located to the rotation of said blades forming a support for a bearing point, a bearing portion adapted to cover said intermediate portion of said blades including a thimble and a collar member, the inner edges of which telescope each other and slots for the blade shanks from the intermediate portion of the blades.

MARTIN E. TROLLEN. 

